Skirt-marker.



BA. SHAPIRO.

SKIRT MARKER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.1o, 1912.

Patented-May 7, 1912.

ha fr I .MMI

BENJAMIN SI-IAPIRO, 0F WASHINGTON, DISTRICT 0F COLUMBIA.

SKIRT-MARKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1912.

Application led January 10, 1912. Serial No. 670,448.

have invented certain new. and useful lfm-4 provements in Skirt-Markers, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

rlhe invention relates to new and useful improvements in skirt markers, and more especially to devices of this character which may be caused to travel around the bottom of the skirt, and to evenly mark the same with respect to the floor or support beneath the skirt, to facilitate the proper cutting of the skirt for shortening the same.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of the above character with a marking member which is turned or operated by the movement of the carriage, so as to prevent any dragging effect ofthe marking device on the skirt and thereby an improper marking of the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide a marking member of the above character with a coperating member between which the skirt passes as it is marked, together with devices for supporting the cooperating member, whereby it may be moved relative to the marking member to permit the insertion of the skirt.

These and other objects will in part be obvious, and will in part be hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention,-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a marking device having my improvements applied thereto, certain parts being broken away to show the marking member; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the same; Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section through the chalk-holding member; Fig. 4 is a plan view of one form of marking wheel; and Fig. 5 is a plan View of a modified form of marking wheel. Fig. 6 is a detail View showing the manner of turning the shank to hold the chalk box away from the marking wheel.

In carrying out the invention, I have provided a movable carriage l, which is mounted on the wheels 2, 3 and 1. The wheels 3 and 4. are located adjacent the ends of the carriage, and the wheel 2 is located intermediate the ends and on the inner side of the carriage. This carriage 1 is formed preferably of metal which is bent t'o form a U-shaped trough 5. The upper edges of the metal are bent laterally to form supporting ledges for the upright-s carrying the marking devices.

. The ledges at the ends of the carriage are bent downwardly, so as to avoid any sharp corners which might otherwise catch in the skirt. This carriage is also preferably curved on an arc which approximates the curvature of the skirt, so that the carriage may be moved about on the floor or other support, adjacent the bottom of the skirt, and the skirt will pass freely through the trough 5 in the carriage. 1While the carriage itself is curved, it will be understood that the essential feature is the curve of the trough, and that the carriage itself may be otherwise shaped.

At the front of the carriage is a standard 6, which is secured in any suitable way to the carriage, and this standard carries an adjustable chalk-supporting box 7. Said box is formed with an opening 8, which receives a standard 6, and a set screw 9 engaging the standard will hold the box in various adjusted positions. Said box is rectangular in cross section, and is formed with a cross partition 10. rlhe open end of the box is adapted to receive a sliding chalkholding member 11. Said chalk-holding member is formed with a pocket 12, in which the chalk 13 rests.

A stem 14: is secured to the chalk-holding member l1 and passes centrally through an opening in the partition lO. Springs 15 bear at one end against the partition 10, and at the other end against the chalk-holding member, and normally press the chalk-holding member outward from the supporting box. The stem 14 is formed with a head 16, which 'limits the outward movement of the chalk-holding member. Said stem carries a rectangular shank 17. The opening in the partition is formed so as to lit the shank 17. By pulling on the head 16, the springs 15 may be compressed, and the chalk-holding member drawn within the supporting box. A slight turn of the head 16 will cause the corners of the shank 17 to engage the partition, and thus hold the chalk-holding member in its withdrawn position. Upon turning the head so as to cause thev shank to register with the opening in the partition,

the springs will at once again throw the chalk-holding member to its eXtreme outer position. Instead of using two springs, as shown in the drawings, it will be obvious that other forms of spring mechanism may j be used.

vCoperating with the chalk is a marking wheel or member 18. Mounted on the carriage 1 is a bracket 19. This bracket at its upper end is formed with a bearing 20 for the upper end of a shaft 21. Said shaft is formed with a cone-shaped project-ion which engages the bearing. The shaft adjacent its lower end is supported by suitable balls in a ball bearing collar 22. Said shaft projects beneath the supporting bracket 19, and is provided with a suitable gear connection 28, which meshes with a gear 24 on the supporting wheel 2. This supporting wheel is preferably provided with a rubber tire, so that as the carriage is moved over the floor, it will be caused to rotate, and will in turn rotate the shaft 21 and the marking wheel carried thereby. The skirt to be marked asses between the marking member and the chalk-holding box, and will be pressed by the marking member against the chalk, so that the skirt will receive a mark correspending in width to the marking member. Inasmuch as the marking member is usually arranged on the inner side of the skirt, I have formed the bracket 19 with side wings 25, which extend partially around the marking wheel and effectively house the same. This marking wheel is formed with a rectangular'socket, and the shaft 21 is also made rectangular, so that the marking wheel will turn with the shaft. Said marking wheel is held in various adjusted positions on the shaft by a set screw 26.

In order to determine the height of the marking wheel, I have provided the inner face of the bracket 19 with a scale 27, which will indicate the height of the marking wheel from the floor. The marking wheel may be adjusted so as to operate at a point adjacent the lower end of the shaft, or may be moved farther up the shaft, as indicated in Fig. 2. When positioned as in Fig. 2, the marking device is preferably used in connection with a platform, on which the wearer of the skirt stands during the marking of the same. This marking wheel is shown in Fig. 4 as provided with a serrated edge at 28. In the form of marking wheel shown in Fig. 5, said wheel is provided with projecting teeth 29, which are curved at their outer edges. It is obvious that the marking wheel may be varied to suit the conditions.

In the operation of my device, the chalkholding member is withdrawn within the supporting boX, so as to leave a free space between said chalk-supporting member and the marking wheel. The skirt can be then freely placed between the marking wllccl and the chalk, and the lower edge of the skirt will rest in the trough in the carriage.

As soon as the carriage is in proper position directly beneath the skirt, the chalk holding member is released and the chalk pressed against the outer face of the skirt, clamping the skirt between the chalk and the marking wheel. As the carriage is moved along the bottom of the skirt, the shaft 21 will be turned in such direction as to cause the marking wheel to rotate and feed the skirt across the face of the chalk in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the carriage. The gears 23 and 24 are so proportioned that the surface speed of the marking wheel is the same as the surface speed of the supporting or driving wheel 2. As the marking wheel turns, it will travel along the skirt therefore, at the same speed that the carriage travels beneath the bottom of the skirt and hence, all drag on the skirt or carrying of the same along with the marking wheel due to the bodily travel of the marking wheel with the carriage, is avoided.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction may be made, without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I-liaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A skirt-marking device comprising a movable carriage, a rotating marking member carried thereby, and means operated by the movement of the carriage for rotating said marking member.

2. A skirt-marking device comprising a movable carriage, a rotatable marking wheel, a chalk-holding member coperating with said wheel, and means for rotating the wheel by the movement of the carriage.

3. A skirt--marking device comprising a movable carriage, a rotatable marking wheel, a chalk-holding member adapted to coperate with said marking wheel, means for yieldingly pressing said chalk-holding member against said marking wheel, and means for rotating said marking wheel.

4. A skirt-marking device comprising a movable carriage, a rotatable marking wheel carried thereby, a chalk-holding member cooperating with said rotatable wheel, means for yieldingly pressing said chalk-holding member toward said rotating wheel, and means for holding said chalk-holding member in retracted position.

5. A skirt-marking device comprising a movable carriage, a rotatable marking wheel carried thereby, a chalk-holding member cooperating with said rotatable wheel, means for yieldingly pressing said chalk-holding member toward said rotating wheel, means for holding said chalk-holding member in retracted position, and means for rotating said marking Wheel by the movement of the carriage.

6. A skirt-marking device comprising a carriage having a curved trough formed therein, a bracket mounted on said carriage, a shaft mounted in said bracket, a marking Wheel carried by said shaft and adjustable vertically thereon, and means operated by the movement of the carriage for vrotating said shaft.

7. A skirt-marking device comprising a carriage having a curved trough formed therein, a bracket mounted on said carriage, a shaft mounted in said bracket, a marking Wheel carried by said shaft and adjustable vertically thereon, means operated by the movement of the carriage for rot-ating said shaft, a standard carried by the shaft, a chalk-holding box adjustably mounted on said standard, and means for yieldingly pressing the chalk toward said marking Wheel.

8. A skirt-marking device comprising a carriage having a curved trough formed therein, a bracket mounted on said carriage, a shaft mounted in said bracket, a marking Wheel carried by said shaft and adjustable vertically thereon, means operated by the movement oit the carriage for rotating said shaft, a standard carried by the shaft, a chalkeholding boX adjustably mounted on said standard, means for yieldingly pressing the chalk toward said marking Wheel, and means for holding the chalk in retracted position for the insertion of the skirt.

In testimony whereof, I aiTiX my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

BENJAMIN SHAPIRO.

Witnesses:

A. M. PAlKlNs, E. Gr. MASON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

